Red Hair
by Ume-han
Summary: AU - He always ignored her because he always tells himself that he's not that desperate for love. She never imagined that it will be this hard to convince one human that accepting her isn't going to be an act of desperation, but because he wanted it too.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"It's so lonely in here…" A six year old blonde haired boy mumbled quietly as he scrutinized his new apartment. He told the Hokage that he wanted to get out of the orphanage because of how hard it was for him to fit in, to socialize, to _belong_.

But as Naruto looked at the dark space that serves as his new haven, he is having second thoughts about moving out. Usually orphans can only move out of the orphanage if they were adopted or labelled as an adult; and neither was Naruto. The only explanation he got why he was even allowed was that the Old man said he was special.

For Naruto, he was _horribly_ special.

The statement sounded so sweet in his six year old ears.

He always gets glared at, but no one _dared_ to unleash physical harm upon him. Naruto _knew_ that that was it. That was the limitation. It means that it never stopped anybody from badmouthing him whether behind his back or in front of his face. The reason he even learned how to swear was because drunken people always swear at him, and that Kami should send him to the deepest pit of hell soon.

So imagine the Old man's surprise when Naruto accidentally tripped over his feet and scraped his knee, the child cursed loudly. The Hokage always told him that it was bad to swear, and that he should never do it.

No one cared about him except the old man, so why should he care what they think of him? He swears all the time he wanted, no parents to tell him off, no relatives to be horrified at his vocabulary, nor friends to tease him about it.

Naruto didn't care what they think about him. Until one day.

The Old man invited him to eat outside. At first, he was reluctant. He didn't want to go outside because he was then safe from their _cold_ eyes. Naruto saw how people respected the Hokage, how their faces would light up as soon as the large red hat came into view, or how their faces shifted to that of awe when they saw a ninja.

Something changed in him that day.

A sparkle of hope entered him, that maybe when he became one, he might get those _warm, caring, _and _understanding_ eyes. Acknowledgement. Respect. _Trust_.

Naruto then learned the necessity of masks.

Not the usual mask that hides your physical visage, but the mask that hides who you are…who has nothing to prove but be himself. His emotional masks strongly held that few people saw through them. Mostly, the old man. Naruto learned to adapt in using one, because for all the struggling and suffering he has gone through, he won't give _them_ the satisfaction of seeing him falter, seeing him affected, and seeing him _weak_.

If they wanted to discourage him, then he isn't going down without a fight.

Then maybe, when he has someone he could call precious, someone he could call _his_ family, _his_ friend, or _his_ comrade…he would eventually learn to ignore the glares.

Naruto's only a six year old boy. He was once a happy child. No need of the masks. No need to shy away. He was just _so_ naïve back then. But it was so unnerving to hear such thoughts from a _six_ year old, whose mind is more complicated than an average 30-year old individual.

He just realized how juvenile he was being.

Trying to be a child when he was denied by that very thing. It's such a foolish thought for someone like him.

He tried every day. He struggled every hour. He suffered every minute. But no one can ignore the fact that he came out strong, that he _survived_.

As he surveyed the empty room, his small feet padded the carpeted floor slowly. Naruto was at least thankful that although the apartment was located at the dark neighborhood of Konoha, the Hokage managed to get him a _decent_ if not a little worse for wear place to sleep in.

It's actually better than the streets. He could still remember the matron threatening to throw him out if he didn't follow their orders.

A childish part of him was tempted to show off his apartment to the matrons, showing them that he _didn't_ need them pushing him around. The logical part of him, that just recently sprouted, said that he was finally out of their clutches and be just grateful.

He sat down at the edge of the bed and ran his small chubby fingers through the mattress. He just sat there for a while, contemplating his new predicament.

He should be happy.

He was finally free from their abusive environment. But the thought didn't make it feel any less lonely.

Naruto laid back on his bed as he stared at the dark ceiling, only illuminated from the glow coming from the moon through his window. A small bitter smile found its way onto his lips, he may be alone but he will strive to change that.

Maybe, he could learn what love is. He usually hears parents tell their children that they love them. It doesn't matter if it was parental love, friendship love, romantic love or familial love. Naruto knew, from what others say, that love can cure even the most painful wound.

Then, if he found _that_ love, it could cure his wounded spirit.

Broken. Destroyed. Shattered. It can cure.

Or at least, that's what _normal_ people around him say. And he wanted to be normal.

The blonde haired boy didn't even realize it. He had already fallen asleep before he knew it.

"_**I'm always here…never fret, never shy, I'm always here…I'll stay, I'll stand, you're always mine…"**_ A voice sang its way to Naruto's ears, as the boy's shoulders eased out the tension without him noticing. He will never know that this is just the beginning…

…as warmth cloaked his figure, protecting, sweet, loving…


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"…_**never fret, never shy, I'm always here…I'll stay, I'll stand, you're always mine…**_" He closed his eyes shut, his sweaty hands covering his ears as if tempting to will the sweet song away. He bit his lip as he trembled in his bed, sweat permeating his skin as fear and frustration lingered in the air.

His throat was so dry that he didn't have it in him to scream for the voice to quiet down. But he knew…he knew that _she_ could hear him. She could _clearly_ hear him and just chose to ignore his protests, his anger or sometimes…fear.

"_**The sun shines bright…no one's hurting, no one's in pain…I'm here, for you…The wind blows like no other, caressing you to comfort, I'll stay, I'm yours…"**_ She continued to sing as if his thoughts weren't on the edge.

He bit his lip so hard that he didn't notice the blood dripping down his chin, soaking his oversized white shirt as silent tears welled up in his eyes. His thoughts drifted to the song, her voice was so soft, but he learned to never trust that comforting melody. He knew who she was, _what_ she was…

…all the hatred, the anger, or the blatant _disgust_ and sometimes, the direct disregard of his existence.

It was all because of her.

And she wouldn't stop those soft _caring_ words, as if she meant them. From what others told him, she never cared for _anyone_ but herself. She was just a selfish monster, no morose for others.

A giggle invaded his hearing. He shivered at the cold feel in it. She _knew_, she knew…and she was playing with him. Just like all these years. "_**…you're mine…always mine…"**_ The words were soft spoken, he wanted to believe but he knew he wasn't that needy of affection. Yet. He _still_ had a chance to earn that for himself, and he's not giving in to her. Not like this…she _knew_ his weakness and it's driving him crazy.

_Stop lying, stop deceiving me…shut up…just stop…_ He tried telling her, he pleaded with her, but as always, she ignored it. She _always_ ignored his words, all she cared is about hers. Her voice was always soft, tempting him, calling him, but he resists every day, and controlling himself from her persuasion.

He heard her laugh. He realized. His inner turmoil _amuses_ her. Naruto's all that to her, and he will never deny that. He's just an amusement. For being imprisoned into someone like him, it must be pretty isolating. That's how he pays her back, reminding her, _always_, how she will be stuck inside him forever…how she will never escape such fate.

It's her sentence. Penalty. Punishment. Condemnation. _Damnation_.

And Naruto's role would be always to make sure for it to stay that way. He won't give in, not to her, _especially_ not to her.

"…_**flowing river, sterile sea…I'm always here, I'll be there, stay with me…**__"_ She sang, her voice bordering to a whispering quality, tranquil, almost calming, but his mind refuse to slow…it never did as long she's involved.

"Shut up…" He didn't even realize that he just mumbled it out loud. _What do you want with me?_ He always asked this, he always questioned it, and his mind wouldn't let that question go. What did someone like her wanted from _him_? He has absolutely _nothing_. Naruto once thought that it was freedom, but her answer only served to disturb him more than he already is.

Naruto could feel her smile, but he knew it wasn't a pleasant smile. _"__**You…I always do, but…**__"_ She paused as if considering if she should be asking or not, she just chose the former. _"__**Why?**__"_ She questioned, and for the first time, he could feel the _honest_ confusion in her voice.

_Why what?_ The twelve year old blonde asked back. It's been six years since that night. The only thing that he remembers was that it was raining, _hard_, and he was so scared…very scared. Then _she_ sang. She comforted him. He made the biggest mistake of _clinging_ to that comfort, to that warmth. Then she started whispering in his ears. She keeps whispering about blood, about killing, and about…death.

She whispers those things like no other, softly flooding his ears, as if she wasn't talking about gore, about how someone would die if you cut the right nerve in the eye. He held strong, he kept firm, and he never told anyone. Once he realized _what_ she is, he couldn't afford it. He didn't tell anyone. The people already hate him for simply existing, but what if they knew he _can_ talk to her? They might just do the deed of ending his life.

Naruto doesn't want that. So he fought.

He fought her for as long as his sanity can take.

He barely grasps reality sometimes. Naruto knew that normalcy is slipping away from his fingers. His sanity is draining from his hand as if like sand…

…and that was what she wanted, right? So he doesn't have any idea of the source of her confusion.

Silence invaded his mind. Then she replied. Her voice then held the same tranquil quality moments ago, as if she just recomposed herself. _"__**Why don't you believe me?**__"_ Her voice was filled with something close to bitterness, and Naruto almost wanted to laugh right there.

His fear momentary forgotten, he snickered…he then chuckled…then _laughed_. It sounded broken and hollow, and his throat ached at the forced sound that escaped his mouth. It's a pretty stupid question, really. He knows that she knows the answer as well, she just _refuses_ to believe it. And he will never change that.

_The last time I did believe you, I lost my grip on life_. _You made me this way._

That was true. This was the one of few times she sang a _real_ lullaby. But as she continued to whisper the horrors of death, the knowledge of death, its cycle, its picture, its _feeling_, and its contact…he barely knew what it's like to live like he is among the living. Every time he walked around the village, he couldn't look at a single person without seeing the _best_ way they should die, how much blood will be spilled…or how _beautiful_ their death is going to be.

She did this to Naruto, and he'd be damned if he gave away himself without even trying to find _other_ acceptance from people.

He will give Konoha a chance.

But…there will _never_ be second chances.

Konoha's wise use of it will determine his battle. It's true that he never gave in, but Naruto _never_ also said that he will never accept her.

If he's desperate enough, that is…


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"…did you know about the law? The law that hides the fact that you are the Kyuubi no Yoko! Everybody hates you and will always will!" His former sensei, Mizuki, shouted as he laughed gleefully. He kept laughing, expecting the blonde to falter, to weaken his resolve.

Naruto didn't frown, didn't cry nor scowled. Especially didn't whine or complain about the unfairness of it all. He surprised his senseis as he smiled, smiled a _bitter_ smile. But it hinted many things; sadness, _regret_, guilt and sorrow. There was never any accusation in his cerulean blue eyes.

Konoha just lost its chance.

Iruka stood up as he glared at the silver haired man. "You fool! That's not true! Everybody doesn't hate Naruto," Mostly, either are neutral or tried their best to be ignorant. "And I won't let you harm _my_ student." The brown haired man said with a sneer as he removed the giant shuriken from his back.

Naruto looked at the man, not the _false_ hope of fully believing the man. But pure doubt as he looked at his sensei. He knew the man didn't hate him. In fact, Iruka was the only teacher to treat him like a child. But it didn't mean he already earned Naruto's trust. Naruto was never a child, this fact was always made known to the blonde.

The man also treated him to ramen and _tried_ his best to get to know the blonde container. But Naruto didn't want to pull the man with him for simply noticing him when the time comes that the blonde had to pay his retribution.

But he broke his word that night, because as he assorted his thoughts about the man Umino Iruka, he realized his mistake.

He never gave Konoha a chance from the _beginning_.

Naruto then remembered. Every time Iruka would take him out to ramen, Naruto would see how a kunai would bury itself to Iruka's neck then slicing downwards to his stomach as the man's blood and guts spilled. Then finish the picture with _her_ licking off Iruka's blood from _Naruto's_ fingers.

He never looked at Iruka straight in the eye since.

"I know…" Naruto said as he looked at Mizuki straight in the eye, the smile vanishing as a sad frown replaced it. He was never a sentimental person so he wouldn't blame the silver haired man for this. He knew what it was like to hate. "But that doesn't change the fact that you betrayed Konoha, as its citizen, I will have to defeat you." He said cheerfully, having recovered his enthusiasm as he remembered the technique he learned from the scroll.

Mizuki sneered, his face showing the contempt hidden for too long. "And what can a failure, a dobe and a _loser_ like you do to a chuunin like _me_? You're not even a genin yet! I'm going to enjoy this." He said as he smirked darkly.

Naruto grinned at his sensei as he made the cross sign for _his_ technique. "Say that once you killed me." Naruto replied as he concentrated his chakra. "Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Almost a thousand clones appeared in the vast forest, blinding orange swarming the green canopy as blue oceanic eyes glared at Mizuki. The silver haired man paled as he looked at the clones, who suddenly grinned at him. "What was it about you being chuunin again? I wasn't listening…" The Naruto's taunted as Mizuki grimaced, knowing he was finished and accepted it.

Mizuki was swarmed by punches, kicks, and sometimes scratches. By the time the clones dispelled, a bloody, beaten Mizuki laid on the ground, unconscious. Iruka shook himself out of his self-induced stupor. He knew Naruto had potential, but he didn't imagine it to be this big. The boy was too open at times, but others didn't notice that as they concentrated at his exuberant forefront, they didn't take notice of things that should have been obvious.

Iruka sometimes asked himself, if Naruto hadn't been the Kyuubi's host, would the boy still be an orphan? Would he still be ignored like this? Those questions plagued at his conscious most of the time as he saw how the blonde boy struggled.

The boy may be an orphan because Naruto's parents might have abandoned him because for simply carrying the demon. Naruto might still be ignored if his parents really did die because some orphans' potential is easily bypassed unlike other children who came from a ninja family or clan.

But Naruto's knowledge about him carrying the demon worried Iruka the most. Had someone broken the law? Had the boy figured it out by himself? Iruka shook his head, the Hokage would be the one talking to the boy about it.

Despite everything that happened tonight, Iruka smiled as he beckoned Naruto to come closer. "You did really well tonight. Close your eyes…" He said as Naruto looked at him sceptically, his blue eyes immediately eyeing his hand. "Just do it, baka…" He hissed, the pain in his back throbbed but he bit back a curse as his student did what he was told to do.

Iruka quietly untied his forehead protector as he reached over Naruto's forehead and removed the blonde's goggles. Iruka then tied the forehead protector around the boy's forehead as a fond smile made its way to his face.

Iruka always knew about how Naruto copes around the prejudice among the villagers, and wasn't surprised to see this side of his student. The chuunin was even glad that the boy managed to trust him for tonight, just being himself. "You can open your eyes now…" He advised as blue eyes peered at him.

Tanned hands instantly darted to Naruto's forehead. Then his blue cerulean eyes widened when he realized what Iruka had just done. "Congratulations, you're now Genin Uzumaki Naruto of Konohagakure." He said, a hint of pride in his voice.

Iruka didn't know it, but Naruto finally gave him the chance he's been working for these past few years.

"Thank you, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto yelled, ecstatic at the rank he'd earned. He grinned brightly at Iruka, momentarily forgetting that her voice was demanding why he didn't kill the traitor for betraying him. Maybe even if he didn't give Konoha a chance, he can start with one person.

"You won't regret it…"

* * *

**AN:**

These two chapters are my gifts to those who reviewed. I know my story isn't much but please do read it. The next chapter would be released on Saturday. Got some school work have to do...but I love this site to forget it.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

He drank the bitter liquid as it burned his throat when it slithered down. He sighed contentedly as he eyed the fuzzy image his apartment gave him. He had just talked to the Hokage a while ago regarding how he knew about the demon and it wasn't hard to lie when he already came up with the story when he was nine years old.

Naruto told the old man that he heard others call him a demon behind his back when people thought he wouldn't hear and since he was born the day the Kyuubi attack, he suspected something. Then he saw the seal when he was practicing the Academy jutsus which prove his theory right.

The blonde knew that the Hokage knows he left some details left unsaid but didn't question any further. But that didn't stop him from being hurt when the old man's eyes became suspicious, as if he didn't trust Naruto.

Naruto knew that look. He sees that suspicious glance in the mirror when he examines his reflection.

He didn't trust people. But he trusted the old man, and the only reason that's stopping him from the telling him the truth about the demon was because Naruto is scared.

Naruto knew that the old man is the Hokage and his responsibility is to the village first. But it didn't mean that he can't trust Naruto, the blonde knew that the old man knows he is _very_ loyal to Konoha despite its misgivings. It was even the old man that kept him tied here, that made him _love_ this place, and that made him learn to forgive these people…that made him want to be Hokage and strive to get acknowledgement.

But the distrust in those dark eyes was forever burned in his memory. Naruto knew that the moment he saw _those_ eyes, something just snapped in him.

And it hurt.

It hurt so much more than the glares he receives every day because it came from someone the blonde trusted, the one Naruto believed in…even if the old man is the Hokage, but still… Naruto shook his head as he refilled his cup with the foul liquid and immediately, almost _hungrily_, drank it.

The goddamn drink is his best medicine right now. Always is. _"__**You shouldn't be drinking…it would be more satisfactory if you make them bleed yourself…**__"_ She whispered huskily, as if she was just sitting next to him.

With his system overloaded with sake, he was able to ignore her. Ignore the hatred, ignore the pain, and ignore everything that weighs him down.

Naruto discovered this life saving drink from one of his senseis in the academy. It was a bit ironic, really. Naruto was walking home late that night because he didn't want to go home early yet and tended to watch the village from the Hokage Mountain on the Yondaime's head.

Then, Tsubari-sensei stumbled out in an alley. Naruto figured that she was just going home from a bar because she reeked of sake. But as she saw Naruto, the blonde expected to be glared at, like how she used to do in their class. But she didn't…

She smiled at him, hugged him, and then cried her tears _on_ him.

Naruto's first thought was that it was a ploy to kill him, but it wasn't…she kept on mumbling that she was _sorry_. That night made him feel good, he thought that maybe Tsubari-sensei forgave him for what _she_'s done.

But the next day in class, Tsubari-sensei was the same; glaring at him with her cold eyes. As if nothing happened, as if she didn't apologize to him.

Naruto then realized that maybe sake had to do with it. Because Tsubari-sensei doesn't drink in the Academy, but when the boy sees her drunk, she waves at him…she _smiles_. He always watched out for her when she drinks and follows her home to see her safe…

…even if it means getting treated rightfully only when his sensei was drunk. It still felt good.

Naruto also realized that _maybe_ sake brings out the good in people. He can't finalize that statement because there are other drunken people who can still see him as the curse, but it wasn't hatred that was in their eyes…it was grief.

Then the blonde discovered that there are three types of drunken people when it comes to him. The first is, the drunken people who see the poor boy in him, that made them realized that he was just one of them, a human. The other sees the demon that slaughtered their loves ones, as if they were reliving the memory.

But as he drank the burning liquid, he realized that he's the kind of drunk that belongs to the third type. The drunken people who wanted to forget is where Naruto was categorized.

The blonde just wanted to forget about _everything_. It was easy to pretend that things were normal when drunk because it was hard to tell what is wrong from right.

He was able to get his own stash through his unique henge. Naruto knew that the Kyuubi gave him the ability to _transform_ when using the Henge. The technique should only be able to cast an _illusion_ over someone, not transform them. But Naruto can…and it made him unique, and no one is the better. Naruto only used this ability to buy his drink, and sometimes groceries. But he didn't use it so often, it made him disgusted with himself by becoming anything _similar_ to her.

_Tic. Toc. Tic. Toc._

Naruto didn't know how many minutes or _hours_ passed.

He just sat by the side of his bed, drinking as if there was no tomorrow.

Then there was a knock. He didn't get up, for he already knew who would be the only one to come at his apartment at this hour. It was still 3 AM in the morning after all.

Naruto could faintly hear the shuffling made in his living room. There were silent footsteps that pounded his carpeted floor as it stopped in front of the door of his bedroom. The intruder didn't bother to knock, he just opened the door and went inside.

The figure then gave a long suffering sigh when he saw Naruto, as if this was a daily occurrence. And it barely reached Naruto's mind that it _is_.

His visitor didn't bother to say anything as he trudged to where Naruto's sitting and sat down in front of the blonde. He then pulled out the shougi board underneath the owner's bed and set himself to arrange the pieces while he stared at his classmate.

Naruto narrowed his eyes to scrutinize the figure in front of him then grinned. "Yo, Shikamaru…you came to play shougi again?" He slurred a little over his words, but the Nara could understand it to give a proper answer.

Shikamaru looked hard at the _drunk_ blonde in front of him and sighed. "That's what I always came for, right? Troublesome." The brunette said, more of a statement than an inquiry.

Naruto bobbed his head up and down exaggeratedly as his dull blue eyes looked at his alarm clock, then at Shikamaru. "You know Shika…you're the only person I know that wakes up at this ungodly hour just so you could play shougi with a loser like me. I didn't even pass the genin exams…" Naruto mumbled as Shikamaru put down the last piece.

"_**Lying to him won't make it easy…his eyes already saw the hitai-ate on your bedside table…**__"_ She warned as Naruto frowned slightly, his vision a little blurry to notice the things that aren't that subtle.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at the information, "Oh…is that so? Well, it must be my imagination then when I bumped into Iruka-sensei on the streets and told me that through an unorthodox method…you just passed the test tonight." He informed in a lucid manner as he leaned his elbow on the board, his palm supporting his chin as he looked at his opponent.

The blonde decided to ignore the sarcasm as he moved his first piece. "Yeah…doesn't change the fact that you still come at this blasphemous hour though." Naruto whined as he snorted, putting his bottle of sake aside in favour of giving the game his attention.

Naruto heard her snort and growled internally. She talks as if they were the best of friends when they weren't even acquaintances… _"__**You're like to talk…you also wake up at this horrendous hour boy…**__" _She stated truthfully and Naruto decided to pretend he didn't hear her.

The Nara's lips twitched upward as he moved his piece, taking it on himself to ignore the foul smell of sake. "That's why I _always_ fall asleep in class." He reasoned as his dark eyes narrowed when Naruto moved a piece he wasn't really expecting.

"_**Typical of him to put the blame on you…pathetic.**__"_ She remarked with a feral growl, and Naruto struggled to keep her killer intent from leaking out. He forced out a laugh as Shikamaru narrowed his eyes on him.

_Goddamnit, shut up!_ The blonde shouted mentally, but she only laughed…happy that she was having effect on him.

Naruto decided to do the best thing he did every time, ignore her. "But why me? I mean…there's lots of people whom are geniuses that could play with _you_ right now. I'm fucking drunk, Nara." Naruto growled but there was no hostility in his words. His hands moving a piece instinctively but he barely looked at the board.

"It's because you're the only person besides my dad that I _can't_ beat. I'm going to play with you again _and_ again to win. It's nice to have a challenge once in a while also. And don't give me the reason that you're drunk, it's nothing new." Shikamaru retorted as he furrowed his eyebrows in concentration. His eyes were never leaving the game to discover how the blonde kept on defeating him.

Naruto could feel her grin, and it made him scowl inwardly. _"__**Nothing but a challenge…or close to being a friend. You're a hypocrite, Naruto…**__"_ He slightly jerked at that, never once had she called him by his name, always _boy_.

_What do you want, Kyuubi_? He addressed her with the same complement that she did. He may not like her, but he knows gratitude when it came.

She sniffles mockingly, _"__**You've finally shown little old me some attention. Such is the heart of a human…but you're different. I really like you…why don't you come to me?**__"_ She inquired playfully.

Naruto growled internally and outwardly making Shikamaru looked at him oddly. _That will be the day I'm desperate enough…_ He retorted and his mind suddenly became eerily quiet. Something Naruto didn't quite expect but grateful all the while.

It started when they were nine years old. Shikamaru was playing shougi with the older boys from another class and _always_ won. He was starting to get bored then Naruto offered to play with him. At first, his thought was to say _no_. It was natural, Naruto was the deadlast so Shikamaru didn't really have high hopes for the blonde but he relented anyway. Then after one game, through unpredictability and _unorthodox_ strategies…the blonde won.

From then on, he always played with Naruto at this hour to defeat him because Naruto didn't want Shikamaru to be seen with him. Shikamaru doesn't know how, but Naruto _always_ won.

Naruto hiccupped as he moved another piece, his half lidded eyes bore to the back of his hand but said nothing.

The silence was uncomfortable, only tensed as the game went on.

"I know I asked this a lot of times already…but why do you drink? You're underage, and can barely handle your liquor but you still go for it…why?" Shikamaru asked distractedly as he moved another piece, sweat glistening in his brow.

Naruto's hand hovered over a piece then raised his hand as he looked at Shikamaru with sad eyes. "And the answer will always be the same because…it dulls the pain here…" He answered as he pointed an index finger on his chest, where his heart is. "It dulls reality…" He then pointed at his blue eyes, "And it dulls everything here…" Naruto then tapped his temple as he chuckled. "Makes me forget about everything…" He mumbled as he finally touched the piece again and made his last move.

"Checkmate." Naruto said as he looked at Shikamaru triumphantly.

Shikamaru's eyes went wide as he realized that the blonde won yet _again_. But his mind wasn't on the game now, it was focused on Naruto's answer. It almost sounded that Naruto wanted to get away from everything, as if the whole world was against the blonde.

Shikamaru then sighed forlornly as he looked at the board, no matter how many times he goes back through the scenarios, he couldn't tell how the blonde defeated him, always. He looked at the clock and grumbled.

It read, 4:45 AM. The game went on for almost two hours, shorter than the last time Naruto defeated him.

The Nara then stood up as he dusted his pants, "Well, I got to go now. The Genin orientation will be at 10 AM, I guess I'll see you later." Shikamaru bid as he walked out of the door, and out of the apartment.

Just like that, Shikamaru was gone.

Naruto smiled sadly as he looked at the hitai-ate on his bedside table. As soon as Shikamaru was out of his apartment complex, they do _not_ know each other. That's one of Naruto's conditions if Shikamaru wanted to play with him. The last time he called someone his friend from the orphanage, the matron slapped his friend. So it should apply outside, right?

What if the villagers transfer their hate on Shikamaru? Naruto didn't want that, especially be blamed by the boy's parents if something did happen to the Nara because of his involvement with the blonde.

They may not be friends, but Naruto was sure that might happen someday.

Someday, where shougi isn't what made them know each other.

OooOoOooO

"…work hard, because there are no shortcuts." Naruto chastised as he flicked Konohamaru on the forehead. He grinned as he looked at the awe and admiration on the young Sarutobi's face.

Naruto met the young boy as he talked with the Hokage regarding his picture for his information as genin. He painted his face in a Kabuki designed painting to make him look unfamiliar, he didn't want anyone to recognize the whisker marks and be able to tell that he is a jinchuuriki, or that someone would be able to look at _that_ face which Naruto had problems laying his eyes on.

Then Konohamaru barged in, demanding the old man for a fight. He even accused Naruto for setting up a trap when the boy tripped on his own scarf. It was one of the most hilarious sights that Naruto had seen since the time he used the Oiroke no Jutsu on Iruka-sensei.

When Naruto knew that Konohamaru was the old man's grandson, Naruto first felt jealousy coursed through him. The blonde won't deny that, he was jealous because the old man was _really_ the grandfather of Konohamaru.

Then annoyance when the young boy said that Naruto couldn't hurt him just because he is the Sandaime's grandson. It set him off…the sheer arrogance, that just because someone has something that they should be conceited about it.

He had to teach the boy a lesson.

It was just pure luck that Konohamaru followed him. Then the boy demanded for the blonde to teach him something. Naruto, being a prankster at heart, taught the boy his prized technique, the Oiroke no Jutsu, knowing that it could work even at their hardened leader. It took a few hours…but Konohamaru eventually learned it.

Now…he just told the boy that if wanted to be Hokage, he had to work hard. That he had to be strong. Because there are no shortcuts.

Naruto didn't have it in him anymore to tell Konohamaru that he wanted to be a Hokage too. He didn't think that he would even fit the position considering that he lost the heart to pursue the goal. Those suspicious, distrustful eyes…Naruto will never forget that.

"Okay boss! Just you watch, I'm gonna be Hokage and you'll be my right hand!" Konohamaru saluted as he dashed away from the blonde, grinning from ear to ear as he ran away.

Naruto sighed wistfully as he looked at the boy. The cheerful persona in use as he interacted and the boy was too young to notice the strength it took for the blonde to grin, to teach, and to laugh…

"_**You lied to him…**__"_ He heard her mumble but he ignored her words. Naruto heard her growl but she didn't say anything else. He knew he lied, but if Konohamaru is going to be a _real_ Hokage, then he must have the right mindset for it.

Naruto just fixed it for him.

Shortcuts are given to those who held power, to those who held manipulation over minds.

And Naruto was dead set on having a respectable leader than a condescending one. It's the only thing that he could see that he will be doing in the future.

When he already sorted his thoughts out, Naruto walked in the Academy as he held his head high, making everybody see Iruka's shining hitai-ate around his forehead. Letting them see that he passed, that he was a shinobi and that he overcame them. It's his treasure, his symbol of opportunity that there is _still_ a chance.

This was met by cold ignorance while others glared, showing how they felt about him _with_ _her_ being a ninja. He laughed gleefully inwardly, he showed them! He was actually a ninja…and it was at this time that the _full_ implication hit him hard. He is a ninja. He made it. Naruto _is_ a ninja and he _made_ it.

Naruto grinned as he put his hands on the back of his head. Nothing can tear down his mood.

As he entered the classroom, Naruto saw that Iruka-sensei wasn't still there and only a few students were there. He looked at the clock and saw that it was half an hour before the orientation started, he was actually _early_ this time and he didn't need the help of his alarm clock to make him punctual.

"Naruto…this place is for graduates only, what are you doing here?" Shikamaru asked from his perch as he looked at the grinning blonde, his face bored betrayed nothing as if they weren't talking moments ago.

Naruto scowled as he stood up straight. "What are you talking about Shikamaru? Are you blind? I have a hitai-ate!" He yelled in his usual boisterous voice as he grinned proudly at his hard earned possession.

Shikamaru scoffed as he laid his head back on his arms, "So troublesome…" He muttered under his breath as he closed his eyes.

Naruto only grinned brighter. Yes, nothing can ruin his mood today.

As the blonde walked past Shikamaru's place, one thought occur to Naruto, being strangers are much better…they hurt you less than a friend can.

"_**Your hypocrisy will be your downfall someday.**__"_ She said but he ignored her.

Truly, nothing ruined that _morning_, but with the awaiting news of being placed in genin cells…he made the mistake of actually expecting everything to turn out alright just because he became a ninja as his last hold on sanity will eventually slipped away from his hands.

Because just like what Kyuubi meant, his own hypocrisy will kill him someday.

* * *

**AN:**

Thanks for the reviews and support. I decided to take the advice of one (or two?) of my reviewers...to make the chapter longer. THanks.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"…you let him do this?" Kakashi asked incredulously as he walked in the messy apartment of Minato-sensei's son.

The Sandaime sighed as he watched the jounin lift some floorboards, momentarily flashing several bottles of sake. "Well…it's the boy's way of coping with his own problems. Whenever he's frustrated or sad, sake, in other words, is his salvation. I tried to talk him out of it, but once I took away his drink, he had withdrawals…_worse_ than what Tsunade has if you made her stop drinking for three days." Sarutobi replied as he saw what was visible of Kakashi's face go pale.

Kakashi nodded slowly as he retracted the floorboards into their proper places. He looked at the untidy surroundings, it definitely looks like an orphan's place…but even Minato-sensei's wasn't this disarrayed.

The silver haired man sniffed the air and grimaced. "He just drank recently…and from what I can tell, lots of it…stings my nose too." Kakashi whimpered as he pinched his nose to block the strong smell of sake, having an enhanced sense of smell at the Inuzuka's level isn't pleasant at times like this.

Sarutobi sighed again as he massaged his temples, "I guess he inherited his mother's appetite for it…" He mused with a frown, twelve year olds aren't supposed to be drinking…but when Naruto's a ninja now, Hiruzen knew that he will lose several arguments with the blonde. He's technically considered an adult now. And thus…will not be denied his drinks.

"Yes…but she can control it, no withdrawals or anything. She can tolerate it but this kid…is something else. How the hell did he know about sake anyway?" Kakashi inquired, but there is an edge in his voice that a skilled ninja like Sarutobi can hear.

"A foolish sensei." was the cryptic answer, and Sarutobi knew that Naruto was the one that adapted sake into his own luxury in misery…and Kakashi didn't need to know that.

"Hn ." Kakashi grunted as he continued to survey the apartment, randomly kicking clothes or ramen cups out of the way.

Spending his time teaching his sensei's son and Obito's last loyal relative isn't going to be easy after all.

OooOoOooO

"Hey…may I eat with you guys? If you don't want to…I don't want to bother…" Naruto said as he felt his cheeks burn in slight embarrassment as he scratch the back of his head, a sheepish smile on his lips.

Kiba looked at him dumbfounded, Hinata blushed as she ducked her head but a small smile on her lips, and Shino couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Kiba always knew his fellow prankster to be obnoxious but this was new. Naruto asking for permission? He almost wanted to laugh…

Akamaru yipped as he wagged his tail excitedly. "Sure blondie…what happened to your teammates anyway?" Kiba asked through mouthfuls of onigiri as he looked at his former classmate, fellow genin.

Naruto sighed as he settled his lunch bag in front of him. "By the looks on their faces, neither wanted me around…guess becoming a ninja has its bad sides…" He muttered the last part as he released another sigh.

Kiba looked at Shino with an odd look as the bug user shook his head. The exchange did not go unnoticed to Naruto but didn't show any reaction that he knows. "Well…maybe having Sasuke is, but I thought you like that Sakura chick?" The Inuzuka inquired as he raised an eyebrow at the blonde haired boy.

Naruto just sighed again as he saw Sakura and some other girls watch Sasuke from afar while the Uchiha prodigy ate. "I had a bit of a headache and I don't think I want to deal with Sakura right now…" He replied as he opened his lunch bag to reveal a hastily made tuna sandwich from the looks of it.

Then they ate in an awkward silence, and neither found it comfortable as they eyed each other questioningly. Naruto, never one for silences, cleared his throat as he had the attention of the whole Team 8. "Well, what do you guys think about the team assignments?" The blonde questioned in his rowdy voice as he flash them a somewhat weak grin.

Naruto's grins are always cheerful, _happy_…but from how he managed to flash a barely passable one…Kiba knew something was seriously wrong with Naruto. Not going after Sakura when all he does is chase after her even though the blonde gets punched or how his lunch wasn't consisted of the usual ramen the Inuzuka always shared with Naruto shows something was…_off_ and Kiba is not sure if it is his business to meddle with it.

The brown haired boy knows that something is defiantly wrong about the village when it comes to his blonde haired of a classmate. Kiba always saw that from the first years of the Academy, Naruto always tried to befriend people with his cheerful nature but their classmates (Kiba was busy with his friends at that time to really take notice) rejected the blonde and made fun of him.

By the time Naruto unleashed one of his infamous pranks, that was when Kiba really notice him. Kiba once told his mom about Naruto trying to get everyone's attention through every means necessary (including wearing a horrendous orange jumpsuit and yelling at the top of his lungs) and when he witnessed one of Naruto's prank…he's mother tried to tell him to at least try to befriend the blonde because she said Naruto was a _very_ lonely boy.

How can a boy _that_ loud, cheerful and friendly be lonely?

Kiba didn't believe it until he saw it with his own eyes. Whenever they would go home after a day in the Academy, Naruto would always sit on the swing on the Academy grounds, by _himself_, as he watched the other kids walk away with either their parents or friends.

Kiba thought that maybe his friends were absent. But as time passes by…he noticed that it happens _every day_. No one even wants to eat with the blonde during lunch nor spar with him during Taijutsu class.

So the Inuzuka boy did as what his mom said, befriend Naruto.

But by the time Kiba did this, the brown haired boy realized his mistake. It was _too_ late. Naruto didn't want to get close to anybody, despite the obnoxious nature, Kiba saw that Naruto _is_ good at evading almost anybody.

Naruto maybe loud but when he wants to keep his mouth shut, you will have to beat him _literally_ to get your answers out but Kiba feels that Naruto would let himself die first before letting that happen.

The Inuzuka remembers a time when one of their senseis taught his blonde classmate the wrong hand seals for the Kawarimi no Jutsu. Kiba then pulled Naruto away after class to teach the blonde the _right_ hand seals. But Kiba is kind of perplexed as to why Naruto just laughed it off and wasn't surprised…as if it already happened before.

But that wasn't the horrifying thing that really happened. Kiba was thankful Naruto didn't try the jutsu _with_ chakra yet. He asked his older sister, Hana, if she knew that jutsu their sensei was trying to teach his classmate as he showed the wrong hand seals for the Kawarimi. Hana then told him that it was a _suicide_ technique mostly used by ANBUs to bury themselves alive to the ground to escape being captured by an enemy for interrogation.

It was at this that Kiba came to a terrible realization. Their sensei_s _(maybe except Iruka-sensei) wanted his classmate's death.

He just doesn't know _why_.

From the wrong katas in Taijutsu (it made Kiba wonder because Naruto won most of his spars), the wrong hand seals and sometimes…yelling at Naruto to go out for something he did not really do or _simply_ do when the lessons are at their more _important_ pace. Their sensei_s_ also didn't want Naruto to be a _ninja_.

So it wasn't a surprise that Naruto was the deadlast. No wonder the blonde held his head _high_ to show them his hitai-ate. Kiba knew that Naruto showed their teachers his dominance.

Kiba managed to become Naruto's _somewhat_ friend when it came to pranking. Kiba always has a heart for good humor and Naruto's pranks are _all_ harmless…and funny. His respect for the blonde was great, yet Kiba didn't want Naruto to know that. The blonde still has an ego after all…and Kiba's pride_ wouldn't_ let him.

"Well…I guess it's fine. We're a reconnaissance team. Hinata has the eyes, I have the nose and Shino has his bugs for identifying targets. We're more a tracking team too I supposed…" Kiba shrugged as Naruto's eyes widened with his jaw dropping while his team mates merely raised an eyebrow.

Kiba's eyebrow twitched as Akamaru also stopped running around when he heard Kiba's explanation. "What is it with you guys? I'm not that dumb!" He said indignantly as they looked at him silently, not bothering to deign his words some truth.

Naruto heard the Kyuubi giggle in his mind as it snapped him back to reality. _"__**There's still some brain left in his little head after all**__…"_ She muttered dramatically and Naruto could hear the hidden glee in her words. But it was beyond him what made Kyuubi ecstatic about his classmate's sudden show of intelligence, albeit once in a while he supposed.

_And it concerns you how_? He asked snidely, a frown momentarily taking over his face before he drew out a sigh and started chuckling as Kiba only got beet red in frustration and embarrassment as his team mates stared at him like he had grown two heads.

"…_**no worries, I'm not in love with him. You're still the one for me…eh Naruto?**__"_ She said seductively as her voice hovered on his ear as if she was just whispering there.

Naruto felt nauseous at the notion. He didn't know whether to scream in frustration at her deception, or curl into a little ball and wait for her to get bored and quiet…thus leaving him alone. _You can like everyone for all I care. I don't need it coming from _you. His voice laced with dislike as he said those words.

The blonde could have sworn the silence in his head was _pained_ silence but he pushed the feeling of guilt aside as he ate his sandwich, a scowl taking place over the usual grin. _"__**You say that now…boy but remember, someday…they will abandon you like the others of your kind, and **_**I**_** will be the only one you could trust.**__" _It's the first time Naruto heard her speak seriously and if he didn't hesitate to say…_emotionally_.

Naruto didn't reply. He had no answer for that. The blonde didn't want to believe it but the possibility of him being abandoned is close to a hundred percent, if he dare say so himself. He could say that some of his classmates were acquaintances, but he never dared to call them his friends…they've already got problems of their own already. But he knew tha-

"_**See…even you are starting to think so. I know you will see it my way someday.**__"_ She _purred_ and Naruto felt a shiver ran down his spine.

The blonde shook his head and ate his sandwich in a contemplative silence while Kiba is still trying to maintain some face in front of his amused teammates. _No, you're wrong…Jiji will not abandon me, maybe even Iruka-sensei, Teuchi-jiji and Ayame-nee-chan! They will not leave me you-_

"_**Tsk, tsk. Who are you trying to convince? Me or yourself? You almost sound like you're in denial…**__"_ She replied in a sing-song voice and Naruto could feel her grin.

His grip on his sandwich which he still has yet to finish visibly tightened. _And how could I trust you? After that stunt you pulled on me four years ago…I can't believe you anymore. I ignored your words about blood because I hanged on to your voice…hoping that the soft voice of your lullaby was still there. I was wrong…there was never a soft voice, only a monster's._ He replied bluntly, having enough of her rumblings.

Not surprisingly, that shut her up.

Naruto stood up that it surprised the whole Team 8 because they almost forgot he was there at all when the blonde had been awfully quiet, "Guys, I think I have to go to the…comfort room! Yes, I have to use the toilet…uhm, thanks I guess?" He said awkwardly as they nodded silently at him, his sandwich having been already finished after she was silenced.

Without any further ado, Naruto immediately went to the comfort room to think…and to straighten some things with someone, for now.

"He's lying…" Hinata murmured, a worried frown on her lips as she watched her crush walked away. She could easily identify emotions at the simplest moments and seeing that Naruto's excuse was so obvious even her teammates caught it without having to be a Hyuuga, it was easy.

Kiba grunted, "We know…that idiot can't even lie for his own sake…" _But he could evade you so well…_ The Inuzuka added mentally as Akamaru whined.

Shino silently regarded his teammate's assessments before finally nodding. "My bugs had detected a faint smell of alcohol on his person." He murmured quietly as his Hinata and Kiba's eyes widened.

"You…you don't think he's been drinking, do you?" Kiba gasped silently. He knew that the idiot has many problems but to be drinking sake at this age where his mom would murder him…is something he found hard to believe.

Hinata shook her head, saying she didn't believe so. Her teammates remained quiet.

Neither of the three knew that this was just the beginning.

OooOoOooO

"_I'm so sorry…I didn't mean to do this!"_

_Glassy onyx eyes stared at him._

_Dead. Cold. Warm liquid…_

_Blood…_

He killed a man. She promised him protection. He believed her.

"_You…you monster!" Another shouted, his voice shaking with anger and…fear._

_Denial. Shock. Guilt. "No…I didn't mean to do this! He attacked me…it was an accident, please! I'm sorry!"_

…_so much blood…_

_The scent of burnt flesh permeating the cold night air…_

…hurt, pain and betrayal, these words were enough to kill him inside…

_Anger, Rage…_

…_Hatred…_

"_I knew it…the Hokage has gone senile to let a demon like you live in this village! Fugaku-sama was right!"_

_Sharingan eyes staring into his blue abyss…_

…_making him see his inevitable death._

He didn't want to die. Was he so wrong? Doesn't his life mean a thing…

…making him expendable_?_

_His eyes widened and before he could even begin to scream, a katana was stabbed through the man's chest. _

_Tears…hot warms tears, the smell of salty liquid not enough to overpower the metallic scent of blood._

_Run…run away…he didn't mean it._

_She did this._

_But it was no use._

…_never was,_

…no one_ will believe him._

"_Naruto-kun…go, I will take care of this."_

_Monotonous. Emotionless. Inexpressive._

He believed once, and he learned that no one was to be trusted…even his ownself.

_Shock. Anger. Bitterness._

_His blue eyes could read the emotions on the man's eyes perfectly…_

…_as his kin stabbed his back._

"_The elders were right…you've been betraying the clan all this time, and even saving this _monster_…I don't know why Fugaku-sama has spared you, Itachi."_

_Dead, another one of them…_

He knew he didn't do it, but it was in his conscience that he _caused_ it.

_Before he could hear more, he was blinded by darkness…_

…_but one thing remained committed to memory…_

…_Itachi…_

…

…

Splash.

He breathed heavily as he looked at his soaked face on the mirror. He turned the faucet again as water began to pour out and without even noticing it, he was already washing his hands furiously, as if to eradicate some irremovable stain.

His breathing became to fasten as he rubbed through his fingers so heavily that they began to get reddish.

"_**That happened years ago…why do humans like you have to hold grudges?**__"_ She demanded angrily and Naruto only growled. It was obvious from her statement, she doesn't intend to apologize and he'll be suspicious if she begins now.

After growing tired of washing his hands, he closed the faucet and leaned his forehead on the mirror. _So much blood. Blood. Can't remove them. His blood. Must…get rid of it…must…_ His whole body shook as he remembered his bloody hands that night.

The warm liquid flowing down his chubby fingers, dried blood stuck in his fingernails…the feeling of flesh through his hands. The sticky substance that refused to go away. Naruto knew, it never went away…the man's blood trapped on his skin. _Her_ voice, rejoicing the feel of it…relishing the sight of the man's soulless eyes…

He easily trusted.

And he was just as easily betrayed.

_I hate you…I hate you…I hate you…I hate you…I __**hate**__ you…_ He repeated inside his mind as he slid off the sink, his body leaning on the wall for support as he fell to his knees. Tears silently flowed down his cheeks as he banged his forehead once on the wall. He bit his bottom lip from letting even a single sob escape. _I hate you…Why? I believed you…I liked you…I trusted you…I…I…I even thought that I __**love**__ you…_

No answer.

…_you used me…_

He closed his eyes as he hastily wiped the warm liquid on his face. Naruto then buried his face on his knees, his shoulders shaking with suppressed sobs. He stayed there crying for what seemed like hours. The blonde didn't care if someone went inside the _public _comfort room because he wouldn't even bother getting up to show his stupid idiotic forefront to disregard the fact that he is crying with some spur-on-the-moment plausible lie.

Naruto just wanted to let it all out.

…_why?..._

This one worded question, instead of answering many things, only adds more unanswered questions…questions where no one bothers to answer. He hated that word because no one bothered answering it for him but he still asks it and Naruto knew he was being stupid.

Inside his mind, red slitted eyes looked at the broken boy. Regret flashing through it before letting malice and mischievousness take over them. She already did it once…what was stopping her from doing it again?

Because she discovered that she has _damn_ emotions as well.

"I hate you…" Naruto murmured quietly, feeling her spite as he repeated that mantra.

…_emptiness…_

…

"_**I hate you too.**__"_ She replied softly.

…

…

* * *

**AN:**

Sorry for the late update...got hang up by studies ! R&R...thanks for the reviews from other authors...

I'll try to update sooner next time :)


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own Naruto._

* * *

"Worst Team Part I" – Chapter 5

* * *

He waited.

Sakura waited.

Even _Sasuke_ waited.

And he's absolutely damn tired of waiting for more than three hours of the designated meeting time. Superior or not, not everybody has the freaking time of the world. Hatake Kakashi isn't exactly his favorite person or his favorite sensei for that matter.

Uzumaki Naruto isn't really pleased.

"This…is extremely…INSANE!" He finally bellowed.

Tired and exasperated green eyes glared at him, but the owner doesn't have the strength – at the moment – to smack the boy who shouted, for good measure.

"Naruto, just – _shut up_." His female team mate growled exhaustedly.

Sasuke barely spared them a glance, but his half-lidded eyes told them the whole story.

Surprisingly, Naruto ignored her…and started _ranting_.

"I can't believe we managed to get a tardy sensei. Is it so much to ask if he actually comes here on time? I mean, _we are his team_, right? And we _are_ his responsibility. Much better, how _did_ we become a team in the first place? All we do is fight, glare, shout, yell, and tear each others' throat out! And _Kakashi_– just watches at the sidelines as if we are some kind of entertainment…what kind of team are we? I can't believe I ended up with you guys, no offense Sakura, but I was hoping to get to know more people other than you two. I practically declared Sasuke-teme as my rival, you as my love interest, and what about other people? And I think we make the WORST team ever, and no, not just because of me – we have our own differences and maybe…we just rubbed off the wrong way. Obviously, Kakashi-sensei seems to be usually the spark lighting up the fuel…that baka-cyclops. Arrgh! I _hate_ my life!"

All that has been said in two or three breaths as Naruto kept pacing, busy pulling his hair out in frustration and impatience.

Unsurprisingly, none of his team mates spared him any glance. Too exasperated to correct him _again_, and they too agreed with him to even slap down his arguments to the ground like they would usually do.

The blonde instantly whirled around and glared at the sheepish yet nonchalant jounin suddenly in front of him. "And you, _Kakashi_," He gritted out, not bothering to call the man his teacher. "–are the worst of the bunch. If I could just…" Then he slumped in defeat as he hung his head low.

Kakashi just eye-smiled as his right hand raised an aggravatingly familiar orange book. His visible eye radiating amusement.

"Sorry, were you saying something Naruto?" The man inquired mock concernedly.

Naruto's blue eyes widened. "I am NOT Maito Gai, _goddamnit_!"

"You sure sound like him to me." Sasuke informed him with a shudder.

Sakura hesitantly agreed, green eyes glaring distastefully at the Uchiha Heir with rage that could only be equalled by Naruto. If there is anything she had learned, good looks are nothing if the personality could equal that of a monster's. She never suppressed Inner Sakura since then.

Kakashi didn't succumb to his other student's taunts.

The man raised his fist in the air happily.

"Let's go team! To the mission's desk! – after all, Tora isn't going to chase himself now would he?" He cheerfully asked, eye smiling.

Three pairs of eyes glared at him.

"How old are you?" Sakura muttered under her breath.

Sasuke scoffed.

"The better question is, how retarded can he be?"

Then said pairs of eyes glared at each other. Blue looked at the onyx and green with apprehension and suspicion, onyx glared arrogantly almost superiorly to the others and green stared at them both back with white hot anger, being fanned by their sensei's unhelpful disposition.

_How did they become a team again?_

Oh yes, because the other two felt they need to show off how superior the other was to the other which was mistakenly taken as some sort of image for teamwork. Clearly disastrous, and they are becoming more and more regretful about their actions.

* * *

"HE'S LATE, DAMNIT! THAT BAKA, WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON HIM…I'LL BREAK HIS LIMBS PART BY PART BEFORE FEEDING THEM TO THE LIONS! IF I HAD KNOWN HE WOULD DO _THIS_, IF I HAD KNOWN HE WOULD _DITCH_ US, I WOULD GLADLY GO BACK TO THE ACADEMY AND RETRY AGAIN! DAMN HIM! DAMN HIM TO HELL! What kind of sensei leaves his team in the first place for more than _SIX HOURS_? And we're supposed to have a SURVIVAL EXERCISE? I'M GOING TO _KILL_ HIM!" Sakura shouted at the top of her lungs as fatigue finally caught up to her, pacing.

Sasuke was looking at her with wide, disbelieving eyes.

Naruto scoffed quietly, although both he and _she_ agree with his pink haired team mate.

The designated time was 5AM and it's almost close to noon.

Apparently, Sakura didn't expect their sensei to treat them like they were the most unimportant individuals in the world or starve them to death by letting them wait on him. Normally, she was calm and coolheaded as a girl – when it doesn't come to Sasuke anyway – and rarely showed anyone full-fledged violence. She may snap at someone from time to time, break some nose here and there or bestow bruises and bumps occasionally, _BUT_, she never resorted to a full show of brutality. If anything, this was the first time she felt like she could kill someone barehanded and snap their necks with it. Even Naruto hadn't angered her _this_ much. And Sakura was too tired to let her inner "fire" suppressed and had been venting on anything mobile for the last hour. Unsurprisingly, her team mates never bothered her. Noticeably enough – _Hatake Kakashi_ is becoming a dead man the minutes or even _hours_ stretched longer.

Kunoichis are really the scariest people at times like this.

And Hatake Kakashi will learn to cherish this lesson for the _third_ time.

"_**If there is anything to know about female species, the moment you have angered them to their 'boiling point', there's nothing that could escape them from maiming their prey which mostly bordered murderous. It's final, that jounin is a dead man walking.**__"_ She commented idly, almost boredly.

Naruto found himself agreeing easily.

And somehow, the blonde still managed to feel sorry for Kakashi. If only an itty-little-bit.

"Just kill him when he arrives, that way, we're _all_ happy." He commented.

Sasuke instantly granted in affirmative.

It made Naruto blink, maybe this could work out after all.

Sakura continued to pace as if she never heard them at all, fists becoming whiter by the minute by how hard she's clenching them.

"He's going to _die_." She calmly said, a strange glint entering her eye.

And that was exactly the time Kakashi entered the training ground area with a Shunshin. His trademark eye smile in place as he looked over his soon-to-be or not-to-be team. Sakura was standing in front of her team mates, shoulders hunched and her face bowed as a curtain of pink hair shielded her face from view. Naruto was quietly sitting on the ground, cross-legged, though the silver haired man noted how he was slowly kicking away the grassy field in order to back away. Sasuke was also settling on the ground and leaning on one of the training post. Slowly but deliberately, the Uchiha stood up and followed Naruto's example to get away. The jounin was confused.

Then suddenly, Sakura looked up at him with wide green eyes, wide childish smile and an overly polite body stance with her hands suspiciously clasped behind her back.

"Kakashi-_sensei_, I'm so happy you're finally here!" She greeted, her smile becoming dazzling.

The jounin returned the smile, and casually walked up to her.

He didn't notice the two boys wince at how exaggeratingly nice she was being.

"Sorry about how late I am though, you see there's this black cat that crossed my path, and like they say it's bad luck so I had to go take the long way to get here." He reasoned sheepishly, and would've been believable if his visible eye didn't crinkle up in amusement.

Sakura covered her mouth in horror as she looked her mentor over.

She gasped. "Nothing unpleasant happened to you, right Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi's smile widened behind the mask.

"I'm glad you worry for your sensei, Sakura-chan."

Then the smile dropped.

"Too bad then." She whispered softly.

The jounin almost didn't hear her.

Almost too fast than what Kakashi knew of Sakura, she had already whipped out a kunai and threw it at him with speeds betraying whatever physical strength he knew of Sakura…which is close to none. He calmly took out a kunai and was going to deflect it. Until he saw Sakura immediately Kawarimi away, just as the kunai reached him and exploded. Surprised and highly disturbed that a female student would try that, Kakashi was taken by surprise and was flung back at the strength of the explosion. She _was_ really trying to kill him; that was a very high level of exploding tag which strengthens the force of the explosion and eradicates the sizzling sound a normal exploding tag gave off, mostly issued only to jounins – how Sakura got hers, he'll know later. As he skidded to a stop, thankfully, his vest only got charred although his mask was burnt to the point of dangerously coming off, the edges of his silver hair frazzled while his forearms was smoking and seemed to be suffering second degree burns – an instinctual habit of blocking.

Where he previously stood was a large crater, three feet deep and ten meters wide in radius. The silver haired man looked at the smoking crater with a wide, horrified eye whilst Sasuke and Naruto are looking calmly although some colors of their faces have drained. He was caught off guard by the seemingly polite student, from her profile there was nothing expected of her, so WHY is it she _had_ caught _him_ – the Copy Ninja, Sharingan Kakashi – off guard that could border incapacitating?

That's right. The profile said so.

And he fell for it.

Worse, apparently, Sakura wasn't done yet.

"I'm sorry Kakashi-sensei! Did that hurt?" Kakashi heard her ask.

He turned to the pink haired girl, only to find her looking at him with horror, face pale and slack-jawed. He wouldn't do the mistake of letting his guard down _again_.

Kakashi grinned.

"I'm fantastic, Sakura-chan!"

Naruto sighed. _He really wanted her to kill him, doesn't he_? He asked to no one in particular.

"_**No doubt.**__"_

The blonde ignored her.

* * *

"Team Seven! I was starting to wonder when you will get here." The Sandaime greeted although he subtly directed Kakashi with a stern gaze which the man flinched at. "And since you came here at an appropriate time, the only mission available is doing the lawn of Masahiro Yusuke. And I am sure you are already well-acquainted with him since you have done the painting for his fences, right?" The four nodded, though for some reason, Sakura looked ready to pummel someone to the ground.

Kakashi nodded. "We'll take the mission, sir."

Sarutobi nodded as he handed the scroll to Kakashi.

"I hope everything is going well with your team?" The old man asked the silver haired man.

Kakashi scratched the back of his head and nervously laughed. Slated gray eyes narrowed instantly on him, couple with Iruka's brown eyed glare which did nothing to calm his suddenly hyperaware nerves.

"Well, we're doing much better than out first meeting. I guess the teamwork is a little shaky since–"

He was cut off as Sakura scoffed and Naruto turned disbelieving eyes on him.

"Shaky? It's disastrous! Jiji, if you must know–"

Kakashi worriedly covered his loud and especially talkative student's mouth.

Sakura glared. "What? Scared to let the Hokage know your little exploits, Kakashi-_sensei_?"

The Uchiha's glare at him said all his thoughts.

Iruka immediately stood up from his seat behind the desk of mission scrolls. "Exploits? Exactly what are you doing to them Kakashi?"

"Nothing, nothing, why must my little genins felt the need to embarrass their sensei, I wouldn't know. I think we had enough pleasantries for now and should attend on the mission before the client gets impatient, ne?" He stated forcefully through gritted teeth as he pushed the genins out of the Hokage's office.

"We'll talk later, Kakashi." It wasn't an order or a request, it was a _promise_.

As the four of them managed to get out of the office, the jounin sent his students an exasperated glare.

"We're still here." Sasuke deadpanned.

"_**Great, and we're all stuck forever.**__"_

_What would you know? It's practically better this way, as long as we don't kill each other first._ Naruto stated harshly as he glared ahead.

"_**If not in a mission, then yes**__."_

_I hate you._

"_**Simply me or that I'm right?**__"_

* * *

He ducked and the bark of the trunk behind him exploded into splinters.

Kakashi managed to explain the objective to the Team while running away from an enraged Sakura. Unfortunately, it certainly didn't make anyone happy – especially Sakura. Maybe he shouldn't have said anything about the lunches, maybe her attacks would have soften or slowed yet they only got faster and gained more ferocity.

The other two had yet to be seen.

And Kakashi felt like he was left to fend off the wolves, isn't exactly a pleasant feeling to be in.

Unknown to her team mates, Sakura – while pacing agitatedly earlier – had made Training Ground 7 into a miniature landmine with explosive tags hidden expertly among the grassy leaves on the wide field. She certainly has the brains.

Somehow, Sakura is _subconsciously_ strengthening her attacks with chakra with all her pent-up anger and frustrations. He could disable her, but with her seemingly fast and fluid strikes that could fracture a bone within him, it was hard to get close because all of a sudden, she has good reflexes – not as fast as a full-fledged shinobi/genin but fast enough to avoid apprehension from him. It was as if looking at a different girl than the one her classmates saw. And he's not even really moving for offense, he would determine her skills so he's currently on the defense tactic. Her physical skills should be nonexistent, yet, it was she who was fighting toe to toe with him instead of Uchiha Sasuke – Rookie of the Year. And no one told him that she _is_ good at chakra control to enhanced her strength and speed even only a little.

Then suddenly, a hand hovered above his right upper arm and his left hand reflexively slapped the offending flesh away from him.

Surprisingly and most-shockingly, his entire right arm had become numbed. _What the fuck_? He wondered to himself as Sakura stood across from him – not less than four feet – with a grin so unlike her own. And as if reading his own thoughts, Sakura answered.

"I have a cousin who is an ANBU medic, thought me a few things here and there…especially the _human anatomy_, how you could cripple an opponent by simply cutting a small nerve and capillary here or there, wham! Instant fighting ability, mom made me study it to relieve her that I will be at least able to defend myself and I also thought, 'Why not? Maybe Sasuke-kun would find me cooler!' Hah! Now…" She suddenly cracked her knuckles. "_Die_, SHANARO!"

Kakashi was suddenly aware Sakura wasn't after the bells _from the beginning_ and just plainly wanted to kill him, judging the indescribable amount of killing intent coming from her.

Sasuke then barged into the fight.

He had launched several kunais at their direction, supposedly _his_ direction while Sakura was STILL there! Kakashi managed to dodge flawlessly and decided to re-evaluate his knowledge about these individuals: so he went back to the open clearing immediately and wait for them to attack to get a somewhat accurate perspective about the genins – and maybe know how each of them will act in the crisis of a comrade and have what it takes to build a team. While Sakura wasn't so lucky. She tried to dodge but it was her back facing Sasuke at that time and she quite didn't expect her crush to outright attack her just because of a stupid test. So she had moved a little _too_ slow. A kunai then struck her right thigh –

Then Sakura is down.

She looked back at Sasuke with wide eyes.

"Sasuke-kun, why?"

It was the only thing that came out of her.

Naturally, Sasuke really didn't intend to hit Sakura in the first place but she was slow, and he had been waiting for his chance for a while now since Kakashi isn't on any time limitations – they are as Sakura's killing spree is only killing whatever time they had left before any of them had tried their chance to get a bell. Maybe there's also the fact that he expected the silver haired jounin to take Sakura with him and dodge the attack altogether. But the damn man hadn't, and he wasn't about to go apologize and help some fangirl – scarily strong or not.

So habitually, Sasuke snorted and continued to follow the silver haired man's tracks.

"You're on my way."

It was the only reason he could give, and the only reason believable enough coming from him even though inside, it was partially true.

He left, and didn't even leave some bandages or something to clean off the wound. He just jumped through the foliage to watch out for the jounin in case he gets his chance.

Sakura felt numbed all over, not really caring at the moment over her bleeding wound. Did Sasuke-_kun_ do what she thought he just did? He wouldn't attack her over some _stupid bell test_, RIGHT? But _he did_, and Sakura felt numerous emotions course through her system: hurt, betrayal, disbelief, and mostly…ANGER. After all the times she had chase over him, fawned, and watched that she almost stopped training altogether if only not for her worrywart mother and insistent cousin in the ANBU to take her career as a kunoichi _at least even a little_ seriously or she will get killed on her first C-rank – he does _this_? Haruno Sakura somehow felt glad she listened. If one of her team mate immediately has the nerve to abandon her and use her for ANY MEANS to get whatever he wants – and even considers her a burden that gets on his way – then she'll show him! That _monster_, she'll show him, get a bell for herself and _maybe_ even help Naruto to send that good-for-nothing TEME back to the Academy. Then they'll see who'll get the last laugh.

'_SHANARO! WE WILL SHOW THAT UNGRATEFUL TEME HOW GOOD WE ARE EVEN WITHOUT HIM! LET'S BREAK HIS LEGS!'_ Normally, shouts of Inner Sakura's thoughts of violence never appealed to Sakura before. But as she remembered Sasuke's careless gaze over what he's done, it sounded more pleasing and tempting than she ever imagined.

Then she laughed.

Her hands already fiddling with a roll of bandage she always had with her in her pouch – all the while still laughing herself silly.

This was the scene a Kakashi clone and Naruto arrived to.

Kakashi was hidden up in a branch, sent by the original to check on his injured student while teaching someone with superiority issues and obsession over revenge a lesson about harming comrades and abandoning them. Naruto was currently peeking from behind a bush, sweating as he saw Sakura finally lost it.

This is final, they're never going to make it.

* * *

Naruto got back into his apartment by sundown. He didn't expect doing the lawn to take much longer than anticipated.

Maybe shouting, yelling, arguing, and fighting with his team mates didn't help finish the job. Well, maybe Sasuke didn't shout or yell – but he's certainly vicious when he snaps with those harsh and cold remarks. Shocking to anyone who knew them, Sakura is shouting at Sasuke angrily with the Uchiha coldly barking quietly back. And when Naruto intervenes, he gets most of the receiving ends of their frustrations, thus, resulting to an all out shouting royale between the three of them that even the client can't help but be cautious. Thankfully, Sakura hadn't punched or harmed the perverted nephew of the client who keeps trying to either flirt with her or feel her up.

Even though Naruto got plummeted to the ground a couple of times, funnily and fortunately enough, there are times Sasuke follows him to the ground. Sasuke, being snappy and more angered as of late, had called Sakura a flat-chested bitch. Normally, the old Sakura – the fangirl – would only be silenced but now, Sakura made sure to break Sasuke's nose and had called the Uchiha a single-minded moron with a superiority complex. Naruto also got called a couple of antagonizing names by them and he always retaliated back.

Kakashi rarely stops any fight.

When he did, it's when things look like they're stepping over the line. Example – when Sakura is already fingering a few kunai or when Sasuke subtly shifts into a fighting stance OR when Naruto decided to give a saccharine grin which is only seen when he's planning a very devious prank.

Naruto sometimes finds _her_ comments about simply killing his team more appealing each day.

And he needs more sake for this.

Though both of them aren't on any level close to acquaintance, it helps in filling the gap of loneliness. She would give careless comments here and there or talk to him directly once or twice. Since the incident in the bathroom, Naruto had somehow established a carefully built wall between them despite the casual talks.

And she knew it.

She tried _many times_ to get through it. But he's stronger now.

He won't fall for her schemes or words of kindness again.

His extremely malfunctioned team would be better than _her_ any time of the day. Sakura may shout, insult and punch but she's honest. Sasuke may insult, taunt and treat you lower than dirt, at least he treats them like a person than any of the villagers had ever done. Kakashi may insult indirectly, shuffle them into a fight himself unintentionally, tardy, and overall lazy, but the man knows them well.

Maybe, they weren't the worst team after all.

* * *

**AN:**

Some may find this humorous - and I want this to be an AU - and I guess, this is a part comical relief...? I don't know. I didn't mean for this story to come out SO serious. I just want it to be a new perspective of how Naruto's supposed life would be (in my point of view) if Kyuubi **is** female. Sorry for the late update. And as much as the main characters are "Naruto&Kyuubi" I suddenly realized that I have been centering the story _too much_ on them, thus other perspectives pertaining to their personality had become a little on the rough side. I also want to establish to others how Team Seven is going to be. Instead of going for how the manga is - starting on the wrong foot then slowly going good... I wanted it to be something akin to a love/hate relationship and how Itachi and Kyuubi's relation will fit into it or how different trials will pull the team together despite the hate (or mostly just anger) and get to know each other on a different level. There will be **NO** Wave Arc, I'm sorry for those who likes Haku and Zabuza but their presences into Team Seven's lives would somehow alter how I want them to think of each other. Some of the characters' past would be altered so please don't comment on - "How it was in canon or how she is like that in canon...blah, blah, blah". There's a reason for a warning of AU's&OOC's because I've noticed several comments like that in other stories. So please, expect a little bit of OC's and I'm going to keep it into a minimum of at least three-five. Thanks for the reviews.


	7. Interlude

OooOoOooO

* * *

"Calm Before the Storm" – Interlude

* * *

Shikamaru stared at him.

Those eyes a tad bit bewildered and a little amused. Naruto couldn't fault him though, if they were to actually change places, he would be crooning over the lazy boy with saccharine glee. So for now, he settled on being less pleased and as nonplussed as possible.

"So they're really that bad, eh?" He inquired curiously as he moved a wooden piece on the Shougi board.

Naruto suddenly snorted, stifling his giggles.

"Shika, Shika. You're asking the wrong question." The blonde said quietly as he idly made a countermove to Shikamaru's tactic, not even bothering to look at the board to know that he scored it right judging from the incessant tick under the Nara's eye.

He secretly took pleasure in annoying the other boy since the other hardly seemed fazed these days.

"…_**the better answer is more like it.**_"

Naruto ignored the voice with perfect ease. The boy was quite pleased with himself that he was learning more of it as days droned on – it also helped that he had a lot of practice since the stupid fox wouldn't stop blabbering. What made her extremely chatty nowadays still eluded him as much as that thought disappointed him.

"The appropriate question is, why haven't you killed each other yet?" Shikamaru drawled distractedly as sweat rolled down his temple.

"And up to this day, the answer still remains a mystery to me." Naruto grinned at him toothily, the faint smell of sake undeniable in his breath. But the Nara was quite surprised that the blonde boy even bothered to be half-sober.

The brunette boy grunted unhappily as he found his move to be easily retaliated once again. And the blonde _still_ hadn't bothered to look at the damn board.

"_**Is the answer that really hard? It's because you're a bunch of hopeless and pathetic idiots…**_" She growled within the recesses of his mind and he could picture those slitted crimson orbs rolling heavenward in mocked exasperation.

"Me thinks it's because I realized we're actually kind of funny. Give or take, Team Seven is amusing. Just ignore the fact that we'd rather throttle each other than someday admit that we care for each other. We're each others' mess. I don't even understand what I'm saying. Or _why_ I'm saying it for this matter." Naruto voiced out rather slowly, as if he was reading it from a paper whose kanji was a bunch of incomprehensible scribbles to the naked eye.

"It's alright. I thought _I_ had it hard _then_ you suddenly go there and show me that my daily team experience was a mere field trip compared to yours. Ino nags me to hell. A lot. She bosses Chouji and I around while our sensei lets her take over. Chouji and sensei are fine, you've got three whole psychotic members on your hand. You'll survive." Those weren't words of comfort in the slightest, just mere opinion on his part.

They both knew that any attempts at comfort would only lead to unwanted discussions they weren't ready to trudge on yet.

"…_**this is really a great time to exchange the wonders of life.**_" She stated wryly with a touch of sarcasm. "_**I hate humans and their way of talking in circles. Just make a point across already.**_" She snorted inelegantly, a vibrant glower in her tone.

He was used to her insults, having endured it for the entirety of the month since that incident with the bathroom. He really hated it when she mentioned humans. Not because he was insulted but because she spoke of it as if they were nothing but space to be discarded so easily. It wasn't because of sympathy either for his fellows but rather the stupid irritating irony that she was only mentioning the things she disliked about _him_ rather than humanity's race.

"You know Shika, even if given another chance, I discovered that I wouldn't trade those 'psychotic members' for another. They make life interesting and I always wanted something _not_ boring. This team is certainly _not boring_." He smirked to himself as a deafening clack resounded in the room.

Dark eyes widened as he saw that he was once again defeated.

"I really, really despise you right now." The Nara stated with such straight face that the blonde might have believed him.

But Shikamaru's eyes lacked the icy, coldness that usually rang true with that declaration.

Only frustration and disbelief colored those dark irises and Naruto found it a little amusing and maybe a little bit bastard-ish in some ways of him to find it humorous. But somehow, the blonde found himself not caring _at the moment_. The boy brought him entertainment and whether friendship was or would be involved had yet to be determined.

"Oh come on! You don't mean that, Shika?" He whined loudly, feigning a crestfallen look.

There was that familiar killing intent lingering on his mind and the blonde suppressed it with a little difficulty since his mind was a little clouded from the alcohol. But he just pushed it out of the way, ignoring the strained silence that followed. He taught himself to better ignore it.

The blonde wasn't going to waste those self-imposed lessons for nothing.

Naruto was disappointed to note that Shikamaru only rolled his eyes.

"Baka."

"Beat me first in shougi then I'll reconsider."

"_Troublesome._"

* * *

"Let me get this straight," The blonde drawled as he squinted his eyes. "You got us a C-rank mission _without_ asking for our permission. Which for the record is an absolutely horrible idea considering…our _lack_ of dynamics." He yawed dramatically and had to suppress a grin when he saw Sakura's eyebrow twitch and Sasuke giving him a deadpan stare.

Kakashi ruffled his hair almost mockingly.

"That's right! My adorable little student's finally using his brain!" He praised cheerfully with the slightest hint of sarcasm.

Naruto swatted the hand away irately.

"_Watch it,_ cyclops." He growled audibly, glaring up at the silver haired man with barely veiled annoyance.

"So," Sakura cut in with feigned delight. "Let me recall the mission coordinates for my two thick headed teammates who only seemed to register that we will be having a _C-rank_ mission." She smiled at them almost indulgently but Naruto could clearly see the undertone of scorn in it. "It's supposed to be a simple mission. A message Hokage-sama wanted to be delivered to Sunagakure. And I don't know what crawled up our sensei's ass for letting us go to a C-rank _diplomatic_ mission has yet to be answered."

Sasuke was now openly glaring at her for her not-so-subtle insult of his intelligence. He was the Rookie of the Year for a reason.

"If you have something to say, then say it to _me_, bitch." He snarled under his breath, eyes narrowing in anger as his fists clenched.

"I'm just saying that don't focus on the possible _fight_, focus on the mission. I could see it in your eyes, Sasuke-_kun_, you're itching to show off." She stated matter-of-factly as she crossed her arms over her chest and that seemed to piss off the Uchiha more than he let on.

"Why you–" The dark haired boy made a move to attack her but orange blocked his sight.

"Oh, teme, not that I enjoy stopping you from a possible funny show, but you see…" He paused as he grinned impishly, tilting his head. "I really, _really_ like to get this over with. I'm still doubtful if Suna even has ramen so I'm going to be stuck between the rock and the hard place. Now, get that pole that's stuck in your ass out, alright?" His grin had turned toothy as white teeth gleamed.

The Uchiha tried to punch him but the blonde deftly avoided the blow.

"That was mean. I was only looking out for my ramen-loving self." He pouted as he crossed his arms behind his head. When the glare only strengthened, he laughed loudly.

"…_**Tch, that never gets old for some reason.**_" That statement instantly halted his laughter.

And he found himself scowling. Once again. It had become a habit since he had been part of this team. And since the last argument he had with the fox. Though the expression didn't suit him according to Ayame-chan of Ichiraku's but then again, it may have just looked out of place to them.

"Boys. And idiots too. Why am I stuck with them?" Sakura lamented as she buried her face in her hands.

"You know, I'm an Elite Jounin Sakura-chan." Kakashi pointed out as his visible eye crinkled in a smile, orange book present on his hands.

She huffed at that.

"And that's actually supposed to mean _something_?" Emerald eyes glared up at the lone gray eye of her sensei.

Kakashi just chuckled.

* * *

"_**Hey, Naruto…?**_"

"_What do you want?"_

"_**You're a brat.**__"_

"_Is there _anything_ else?"_

"_**Just sleep already, I eradicated the nightmares.**__"_

_He scoffed weakly under his breath as he clutched the blanket tighter around his form, his body shivering with fever. A small smile formed on his lips as his eyelids closed, hoping for a dreamless and bloodless sleep this time. He wanted to say she was lying, like always. But it was hard when his mind was deliriously foggy like this._

"…_for now."_

* * *

AN: Thank you for those who reviewed for this story. I've got _that_ inspiration back and since I haven't written for so long, I decided to start it up with this little interlude chapter. And I can assure you that more chapters will come then. :) Thanks again.


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